filler

¹ American  

[fil-er] / ˈfɪl ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that fills.

   a filler for pies; a filler of orders.

2. a thing or substance used to fill a gap, cavity, or the like.

3. a substance used to fill cracks, pores, etc., in a surface before painting or varnishing.

4. a liquid, paste, or the like used to coat a surface or to give solidity, bulk, etc., to a substance, as paper or a chemical powder.

5. Journalism. material, considered of secondary importance, used to fill out a column or page.

6. an implement used in filling, as a funnel.

7. cotton, down, or other material used to stuff or pad an object, as a quilt or cloth toy.

8. material placed between the insole and the exterior sole of a shoe.

9. Linguistics. (especially in tagmemics) one of a class of items that can fit into a given slot in a construction.

10. Building Trades. a plate, slab, block, etc., inserted between two parallel members to connect them.

11. the tobacco forming the body of a cigar.

12. metal in the form of a rod or wire, used in brazing, welding, and soldering.

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fillér ² American  

[fee-lair, fil-air] / ˈfi lɛər, ˈfɪl ɛər /

Also filler

noun

plural

fillér

1. an aluminum coin of Hungary, one 100th of a forint.

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filler British  

/ ˈfɪlə /

noun

1. a person or thing that fills

2. an object or substance used to add weight or size to something or to fill in a gap

3. a paste, used for filling in cracks, holes, etc, in a surface before painting

4. architect a small joist inserted between and supported by two beams

5. 1. the inner portion of a cigar

   2. the cut tobacco for making cigarettes

6. journalism articles, photographs, etc, to fill space between more important articles in the layout of a newspaper or magazine

7. informal something, such as a musical selection, to fill time in a broadcast or stage presentation

8. a small radio or television transmitter used to fill a gap in coverage

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Etymology

Origin of filler¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; fill + -er ¹

Origin of fillér²

First recorded in 1900–05; from Hungarian, from Middle High German vierer type of coin, equivalent to vier four + -er -er ¹

Example Sentences

While most people might be familiar with helium as a filler for balloons, the gas is used as a coolant, including in semiconductor manufacturing and MRI machines.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026

Fat grafting might sound intense, but it’s a kind of natural filler.

From Slate • Feb. 22, 2026

When approached as two separate collections, many tracks that at first sound like filler turn out to have their place.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

She’s had clients come after jaw surgery who get treatments twice a week for months, others dealing with bad filler or Botox who needed intensive work to break down adhesions.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

This goes to what Violet said about time filler and how none of it matters, but it’s also me exactly—buzzing, humming, soaring roaring diving, and then falling deep into mud, so deep I can’t breathe.

From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven